Sony targets GeoHot and team over PS3 root key hack

Sony has filed a legal complaint against famed hacker George “GeoHot” Hotz and the fail0verflow team, which earlier this month managed to crack the PS3 root key and began spreading a modified firmware that allows homebrew apps and pirated software to run on unmodded consoles.

As explained earlier, the key cannot be changed with a firmware update, only through hardware modifications, but even doing so would render current software inoperable. In other words, pirate games will continue to surface and there’s not much Sony can do about it.

The documents accuse Hotz and company of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act as well as the Computer Fraud and Abuse act after knowingly cracking the PS3 open to piracy. Hotz is also accused of taking financial benefit through unlawful conduct through his public PayPal account and attempting to exhort Sony into giving him a job by claiming: “if you want your next console to be secure, get in touch with me.”

Not that getting his expertise in security would be a bad idea but apparently Sony is not taking this gracefully. GeoHot is no stranger to the hacking community as he is renowned for the work he did on jailbreaking the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and various PlayStation 3 hacks. It seems Sony isn’t letting this one slide without a fight. For now no formal lawsuit has been filed, only a restraining order to get the root key and modified firmware taken offline.